Atlanta reverend explains how Black churches and politics go hand in hand

ATLANTA — There is no denying the fact that the Black church and politics go hand in hand. It was as evident during the civil rights movement as it was in the 2020 election and Senate runoff.

Reverend William Flippin, pastor of the Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church in Atlanta, was there to witness both.

“At one point it was the only institution where African Americans had a voice or a sense of pride,” Flippin said.

Channel 2′s Lori Wilson spoke to Flippin who is now reflecting on those moments, and on the message of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Then as now, the church is the center of Black culture and civic engagement. Dr. King knew the power of the pulpit as he came from a lineage of preachers.

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“He is a product of the Black church,” Flippin said. “His grandfather was a pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church and fought for the right of teachers to get equal pay, an organizer of NAACP in Atlanta.”

Early in the 2020 campaign season, when Stacey Abrams reached out to Black churches for help getting out the vote – it worked. One church, one pew, one person at a time.

“She really helped mobilize the citizens, primarily working through the Black church first,” Flippin said.

And for the first time, a Black preacher was elected to the U.S. Senate representing Georgia.

Flippin said Black churches across the country sent prayers and notes of encouragement to believers in Georgia, especially leading up to the runoff. There was a sense of shared responsibility in the Black church community to stand together for one common goal.

“We even called our children, and our children’s children and helped them fill out ballots and made sure they voted, and we were successful,” Flippin said.

Cox Media Group